Reman
thumb|[[Vkruk, a Reman male, in 2379.]] The Remans are the humanoid race that inhabited the planet Remus until 2380. (movie: Star Trek Nemesis; novel: Articles of the Federation) Physiology A nocturnal race, the Remans shun light, and are characterized by their imposing heights, grey skin, large ears, keen eyesight in the dark, and the possession of telepathic abilities. As of the late 24th Century, it was commonly believed by the people of the Federation that the Remans were a mutated offshoot of the Romulans. (novel: Articles of the Federation) Telepathy It was known that similar to the Romulans, the Remans possessed the genes for telepathy within their DNA. ( ) Unlike their Romulan brothers, the Remans have demonstrated telepathic abilities which can dull the sense of pain among those suffering from disease and allows them to invade the mind of others. (TNG movie: Nemesis) It was learnt that the followers of Surak, who possessed the telepathic abilities among their kind, were banished to Remus while the others were killed on the journey across space. It was later seen how the Vulcans who settled on Remus fared: After one Vulcan, Refas, blundered out onto the ice of the planet's surface in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, he encountered a colony of extremophiles who thrived there. They revived Refas, and began to alter him to more effectively live on Remus (he is able to survive more comfortably in the freezing environment). Healer T'Olryn adapts the extremophiles to work on any Vulcan, and soon an entire colony is being slowly mutated. They develop the hairless, pale skin, sunken eyes, and powerful telepathic abilities that later Remans are seen to possess. ( ) History The history of the Reman species can be traced to the Vulcans during the time of the Sundering when several starships left the planet in order to continue their way of life elsewhere. These ships discovered the twin worlds of Romulus and Remus; however, in order to continue their civilization, a lot of resources were required. To set an example, Karatek of the Shavokh decided that his ship clan would develop a settlement on the hostile world of Remus. After the work was complete, Karatek and his people were betrayed and left in exile on Remus where they worked essentially as slaves. It was during this time that the Remans were born. The genetic father of the Reman species is Refas while T'Orlyn would be their mother. Their DNA had become altered by the extremophiles that lived on Remus which made them perfectly suited to survive on the hostile planet. The first of the 'prototype' Remans was Rovalat who was the genetic son of T'Orlyn and Refas. He would be the protector and the eldest of the new species which developed a fierce hatred of the early Romulans for what they did to their ancestors. At first, this mutated Vulcan species would remain hidden and make covert strikes against their oppressors which would be done so through collapsing caves that were made in order to kill the guards and to ensure that no exiled Vulcan was harmed. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Soul Epiphany)'' In the late 2370s, the Remans came under the leadership of a Human clone named Shinzon; Shinzon had been created as a clone of Federation Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Earth to infiltrate the Federation in Picard's place, but had been condemned to live amongst the Remans early in life. Shinzon's tactical brilliance allowed him and his Reman brethren to rise to prominence within the Imperial Fleet, so much so that the Star Empire's ability to control them was questioned, with many in the Romulan government believing them to now be a private army. These fears proved well-founded; after winning the support of key members of the Senate and Imperial Fleet, Shinzon had the Senate and Praetor assassinated and assumed power. Shinzon intended to bring revenge upon the Romulans for his and the Remans' suffering, but died before this could be accomplished. (movie: ''Star Trek Nemesis) Resettlement Klorgat IV In December of 2379, the Remans had come under the leadership of a Reman colonel named Xiomek; in the midst of Federation-mediated power-sharing negotiations between several Romulan factions, Xiomek's forces sought to attack Romulus. Using numerous abandoned starships, some of which were centuries old, the Remans gathered a fleet and launched an orbital battle. The battle was ended when Federation Starfleet Captain William T. Riker of Earth, commanding officer of the ''USS Titan'', negotiated a treaty whereby Remus and all Remans were made protectorates of the Klingon Empire. Under the treaty, ships from the Klingon Defense Force were stationed throughout Romulan space, and the Remans were granted the right to settle on a continent on Romulus called Ehrie'fvil. (TTN novel: Taking Wing) Unfortunately, however, this plan proved a failure. Numerous firefights between Romulan forces and between Klingon and Romulan forces hampered the Empire's ability to protect the Remans, and a great many hate crimes were committed in Ehrie'fvil, including the vicious murders of numerous Remans. Federation President Nanietta Bacco's administration later developed an alternate agreement whereby all Remans were voluntarily transported out of Romulan space and re-settled on an uninhabited Klingon planet called Klorgat IV. In the midst of resettlement, rogue Romulan Admiral Lhian Mendak, commanding officer of the IRW Rhliailu and several other ships, decloaked and pulverized a Klorgat moon. The Reman settlement was on the other side of the planet at the time; nonetheless, the destruction of the moon would significantly damage the planet's environment. The fact remained, however, that Klorgat was still much more hospitable than Remus. ( ) Alternate continuities Crateris By the year 2385, after the Imperial Romulan State merged back into the Romulan Star Empire, the former Empress Donatra began negotiations with Colonel Xiomek of the Remans. The Remans had never left the Romii system at this point. After arriving at Remus, she offered the Colonel full citizenship for him and the rest of his race as well as representation in the Romulan Senate in exchange for their support. Though Proconsul Sela was opposed to this plan, Praetor Chulan does not stand up against Donatra or her military might. The addition of new resources ends the deprivation many worlds of the Romulan Star Empire was facing during the initial split of the Imperial Romulan State. However, the Romulan Senate was reluctant to accept the Remans but was swayed by popular support for Donatra and gives Colonel Xiomek a take on the Senate with citizenship awarded to all Remans. However, in practice, most Romulans continue to treat Remans as second class citizens and the Remans themselves are reluctant to openly move to Romulan settlements. In 2386, Ambassador Spock and the Romulan Mining Guild conclude that Remus has been extensively overmined and that continued mining might result in a similar incident that befell the Klingon moon of Praxis. The Mining Guild proposed to the Senate that they move all mining operations off Remus and also recommended that they be put in charge of such operations. However, the latter proposal was blocked by Xiomek which resulted in numerous skirmishes throughout the Star Empire between Remans and Romulan miners. In addition, Xiomek also placed a further motion that if Remus was going to be abandoned then the Remans should be given a place to live on a continent on Romulus. Instead, a counter proposal was offered that the Remans colonize the failed Romulan colony world of Crateris in the Gamma Crateris system. It was a harsh planet filled with electrical storms but rich in Dilithium, Decalithium and under such valuable resources. Though a hostile world to live on, the Remans accept the offer and see it as a better place to live on then Remus. After which, Remans begin boarding colony ships to settle on their new homeworld, Crateris. ( ) Culture Beliefs Some Remans believed that when they die, their souls would be reincarnated on Romulus where they can live in Paradise itself; however, many others hold the more fatalistic belief that their existence is the only one that is available to them. Reman myths believe that one day a Reman not of their world would arrive that would free them from their bondage to the Romulans and usher in a new age for their kind; one where all Remans are free. They identified this person with the name of Shinzon which can mean liberator among their kind. ( ) The Remans also share some of the Romulan beliefs as they believe in the afterlife known as the Halls of Erebus. They also developed their own belief in a mythological figure known as Tenakruvek who is believed to have ascended into the Reman afterlife. ( ) Family Society The Remans were an oppressed caste within Romulan society, with their world having long ago come under the auspices of the Romulan Star Empire. The Remans were, in fact, little more than slaves to the Romulans; many were forced to work under harsh conditions in Remus' dilithium mines, while other worked as personal servants or bodyguards to rich and powerful Romulans. Still more were drafted into the Romulan Imperial Fleet, forced to work as ground forces -- cannon fodder, in other words. (movie: Star Trek Nemesis; TTN novel: Taking Wing; ENT episode: "United") Their fearsome warrior nature meant that the Romulans often employed Remans to serve as bodyguards to senators that were used to intimidate possible opponents. ( ) The life of the Remans has been a long and painful one where they endlessly toiled within the harsh surface of their homeworld. Their spirit had long ago been crushed and the concept of freedom is somewhat alien to them at times. In addition to this, the concept of what is a Reman is somewhat fluid. The race believes that anyone who is banished to Remus is considered a fellow brother and is, thus, a Reman. The Reman language itself is considered quite complex and makes use of pictographs. There appears to be very little in the way of culture among the Remans though ancient stories are passed down from one generation to the other through oral means. Mention is made of the Old Ways and the concept of the Clans. ( ) * The Shatnerverse novel states that Shinzon means Liberator while other sources indicate it means twilight. Furthermore, Captain's Blood states that the name Shinzon is more of a title than a name as the Remans identify themselves with their title. :Many fans believe the Remans to be the native inhabitants of Remus, a view confirmed by the Shatnerverse novel ''Captain's Blood. The origins of the Remans in the mainstream novel continuity will be revealed in the Vulcan's Soul trilogy, volumes one and two of which is currently available.'' Remans * E'Mek * Vkruk * R'Vek *Jianuk *Karatek *Mekrikuk *Tenakruvek *Xiomek *Lorix External link * Category:Telepathic species Category:Humanoid species Category:Races and cultures Category:Beta Quadrant races and cultures Category:Vulcanoid species